SEEKING WITH THE LIGHT
illumination for gamers VAN LAST LIFE NAAR REAL LIFE
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HAT YOU SHOULD KNOW FIRST
If you belong to those who consider computers, the Internet and everything it involves with some suspicion and from a certain distance; if you hold these devices responsible for the moral degeneration, for the coarsening of the youth and also for the imminent decline of the Occident; if you generally consider them satanic inventions, please, lament no longer. You may possibly recognise yourself, if only partly, in the following text, but you may perhaps experience that spiritual matters can also be expressed in an unusual way that was not possible until now. All those, who must time and again hear that their favourite instrument and hobby is nothing other than modern merchandise and actually a roller coaster to damnation, will be able to ascertain that – perhaps to their great satisfaction – spiritual matters can also be expressed in another way than those used in the past. Perhaps, this text can contribute to mutual understanding; by the way, the most important technical terms are explained in the notes at the end of this article. LAST LIFE For about ten years, the author has
been a computer ‘freak’, but he has in this context, as far as he knows, not incurred consequential damage. At this moment, he has, in addition to his work on other things, also advanced to his fifth ‘Level-80’ figure in ‘World of Warcraft’.
I have played ‘Last Life’ for as long as I have been able to think. And for exactly as long, I am totally fed up with it. Admittedly, the structures (textures 1) and light effects are not bad and usually there is little lag 2. But the quests 3 are monotonous and tiring and the rewards are never worth the trouble, and the artificial intelligence of the NPCs 4 is, putting it mildly, sobering. I am quite alone in this point of view. The majority of my fellow gamers is immersed in it, partly enthusiastically, partly grimly, though with holy zeal, and always set themselves the same tasks in the same realms of the game world. Then they always encounter the same obstacles and opponents whom they attack with a range of strategies that are described quite charitably with the word ‘orderly’. The reward for all their efforts (which they do not experience as such, but rather as the goal of life, indeed, even their right of existence) is a few collected coins and pieces of equipment, all kinds of gadgets which they can sell again for a few more coins at the NPC dealer. Rewards that they could trade in to the quest givers in exchange for successful quests, marginally increase respect with some group as well as providing experience points. If sufficient experience points have been collected, a new ‘level’ is reached. One ‘levels’, as those concerned call it. With every new life, there is the possibility to learn new skills and talents or to improve the existing ones, to use top rate equipment and generally, verlichting voor gamersl 27
